Musicians generally perform individually or in groups, i.e., a band. And, a band can include a single musician (a “one man band”) all the way up to a hundred or more musicians. One style of a band that typically includes more than just a few musicians is called a marching band. A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians that incorporate a wide range of movements into their musical performance. A wide variety of instruments may be used in the band, including brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments, to produce a strong and stable rhythmic component suitable for marching and movement. Based primarily on the “marching” aspect of the band, most marching bands incorporate some form of a uniform, generally including the colors and/or symbols of the school or organization, and can be as detailed as a military style uniform, to as informal as matching t-shirts and shorts.
In addition to the traditional street parade performances, many marching bands also perform field shows at sporting events or at competitions. The goal of each band's performance is different. Some aim for maximum uniformity and precision, while others—especially scramble bands—aim to be as entertaining as possible. Many high school and college marching bands aim for maximum sound and visual impact on the audience.
High school and college sporting events, especially half time of football games, has become a premiere opportunity for schools to display the skills and uniqueness of their marching bands to the players, the fans, and those watching the sporting event on television. High schools and colleges are constantly trying to improve the “wow” effect of their marching bands to impress all those who watch and enjoy the performance.
The musical instruments themselves provide little toward the “wow” factor, other than the music they produce and any movements that the musician makes that incorporate the musical instrument.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved systems and methods that allow musical instruments to be used by the musicians that can improve the “wow” effect of a band, such as being able to move or rotate the bell of a musical instrument by the simple push of a button, while the musician is playing the instrument.